YG Reminds Us All to 'Stay Dangerous'

Do you remember the very first time you cooked a meal by yourself? All of your life you watched your mom as she made the greatest chicken on the planet. You spent years begging her to share the recipe with you, and she walked you through it step by step until you were able to perfect it. You love your chicken and want to eat it everyday. That is, until you get tired of eating the same meal everyday. You add some new sides, maybe even change herbs used for flavor but, it's still missing something. No matter how much you try spice up the chicken, you’ll never be as excited about it as you used to be. YG is one of the latest mixes of herbs and spices in the chicken that is west coast hip hop, and his album Stay Dangerous is ultimately more of the same old stuff.
This album embodies life on the west coast, and listening to it makes me want to buy a low rider and cruise down Crenshaw. YG’s raps about gang-life in Los Angeles are vivid and visceral. The problem that I have with this album is that it lacks in any substance and is kind of boring. While YG is unapologetic in his gang affiliation, this album makes a point to bash listeners in the skull with said affiliation. We get it bro, you bang Blood. Where is the substance though? Where is the growth?

K-HiSox’s uncle called YG a poor man’s Game, and honestly, he’s right.
The difference is Game does more than typical west coast gang rap. Game can give you tracks like Dreams, Wouldn’t Get Far and El-Chapo.
Even YG’s counterparts, Jay Rock and Nipsey Hussle have found ways to stay true to their west coast roots while distinguishing themselves from the pack.
It’s the lyrical diversity of Rock’s Redemption and Hussle’s Victory Lap that make me return to those projects, and that lack of variety makes this album boring after a while.
This by no means is a wack album from YG. The production on this knocks. This album is sure to make workout playlists in the near future, and the song Slay with Quavo is sure to be another summertime anthem for the ladies.

For me personally, I would prefer to hear more tracks like Deeper Than Rap and Bomptown’s Finest from YG, but if you love that hard-hitting West Coast feel, then this album is for you.